the patrician-第24节

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his　I'm　done　for；　at　once。〃

〃This　is　obviously　a　woman's　business；　nobody　like　a　mother。〃

〃If　it　were　only　one　of　the　others；〃　muttered　Lady　Valleys：　〃Eustace
has　that　queer　way　of　making　you　feel　lumpy。〃

Lord　Valleys　looked　at　her　askance。　　He　had　that　kind　of　critical
fastidiousness　which　a　word　will　rouse　into　activity。　　Was　she　lumpy？
The　idea　had　never　struck　him。

〃Well；　I'll　do　it；　if　I　must；〃　sighed　Lady　Valleys。

When　after　breakfast　she　entered　Miltoun's　'den；'　he　was　buckling　on
his　spurs　preparatory；　to　riding　out　to　some　of　the　remoter　villages。
Under　the　mask　of　the　Apache　chief；　Bertie　was　standing；　more
inscrutable　and　neat　than　ever；　in　a　perfectly　tied　cravatte；
perfectly　cut　riding　breeches；　and　boots　worn　and　polished　till　a
sooty　glow　shone　through　their　natural　russet。　　Not　specially
dandified　in　his　usual　dress；　Bertie　Caradoc　would　almost　sooner　have
died　than　disgrace　a　horse。　　His　eyes；　the　sharper　because　they　had
only　half　the　space　of　the　ordinary　eye　to　glance　from；　at　once　took
in　the　fact　that　his　mother　wished　to　be　alone　with　'old　Miltoun；'
and　he　discreetly　left　the　room。

That　which　disconcerted　all　who　had　dealings　with　Miltoun　was　the
discovery　made　soon　or　late；　that　they　could　not　be　sure　how　anything
would　strike　him。　　In　his　mind；　as　in　his　face；　there　was　a　certain
regularity；　and　thenimpossible　to　say　exactly　whereit　would；
shoot　off　and　twist　round　a　corner。　　This　was　the　legacy　no　doubt　of
the　hard…bitten　individuality；　which　had　brought　to　the　front　so　many
of　his　ancestors；　for　in　Miltoun　was　the　blood　not　only　of　the
Caradocs　and　Fitz…Harolds；　but　of　most　other　prominent　families　in
the　kingdom；　all　of　whom；　in　those　ages　before　money　made　the　man；
must　have　had　a　forbear　conspicuous　by　reason　of　qualities；　not
always　fine；　but　always　poignant。

And　now；　though　Lady　Valleys　had　the　audacity　of　her　physique；　and
was　not　customarily　abashed；　she　began　by　speaking　of　politics；
hoping　her　son　would　give　her　an　opening。　　But　he　gave　her　none；　and
she　grew　nervous。　　At　last；　summoning　all　her　coolness；　she　said：

〃I'm　dreadfully　sorry　about　this　affair；　dear　boy。　　Your　father　told
me　of　your　talk　with　him。　　Try　not　to　take　it　too　hard。〃

Miltoun　did　not　answer；　and　silence　being　that　which　Lady　Valleys
habitually　most　dreaded；　she　took　refuge　in　further　speech；　outlining
for　her　son　the　whole　episode　as　she　saw　it　from　her　point　of　view；
and　ending　with　these　words：

〃Surely　it's　not　worth　it。〃

Miltoun　heard　her　with　his　peculiar　look；　as　of　a　man　peering　through
a　vizor。　　Then　smiling；　he　said：

〃Thank　you；〃　and　opened　the　door。

Lady　Valleys；　without　quite　knowing　whether　he　intended　her　to　do　so；
indeed　without　quite　knowing　anything　at　the　moment；　passed　out；　and
Miltoun　closed　the　door　behind　her。

Ten　minutes　later　he　and　Bertie　were　seen　riding　down　the　drive。




CHAPTER　XIX

That　afternoon　the　wind；　which　had　been　rising　steadily；　brought　a
flurry　of　clouds　up　from　the　South…West。　　Formed　out　on　the　heart　of
the　Atlantic；　they　sailed　forward；　swift　and　fleecy　at　first；　like
the　skirmishing　white　shallops　of　a　great　fleet；　then；　in　serried
masses；　darkened　the　sun。　　About　four　o'clock　they　broke　in　rain；
which　the　wind　drove　horizontally　with　a　cold　whiffling　murmur。　　As
youth　and　glamour　die　in　a　face　before　the　cold　rains　of　life；　so
glory　died　on　the　moor。　　The　tors；　from　being　uplifted　wild　castles；
became　mere　grey　excrescences。　　Distance　failed。　　The　cuckoos　were
silent。　　There　was　none　of　the　beauty　that　there　is　in　death；　no
tragic　greatnessall　was　moaning　and　monotony。　　But　about　seven　the
sun　tore　its　way　back　through　the　swathe；　and　flared　out。　　Like　some
huge　star；　whose　rays　were　stretching　down　to　the　horizon；　and　up　to
the　very　top　of　the　hill　of　air；　it　shone　with　an　amazing　murky
glamour；　the　clouds　splintered　by　its　shafts；　and　tinged　saffron；
piled　themselves　up　as　if　in　wonder。　　Under　the　sultry　warmth　of　this
new　great　star；　the　heather　began　to　steam　a　little；　and　the　glitter
of　its　wet　unopened　bells　was　like　that　of　innumerable　tiny　smoking
fires。　　The　two　brothers　were　drenched　as　they　cantered　silently
home。　　Good　friends　always；　they　had　never　much　to　say　to　one
another。　　For　Miltoun　was　conscious　that　he　thought　on　a　different
plane　from　Bertie；　and　Bertie　grudged　even　to　his　brother　any　inkling
of　what　was　passing　in　his　spirit；　just　as　he　grudged　parting　with
diplomatic　knowledge；　or　stable　secrets；　or　indeed　anything　that
might　leave　him　less　in　command　of　life。　　He　grudged　it；　because　in　a
private　sort　of　way　it　lowered　his　estimation　of　his　own　stoical
self…sufficiency；　it　hurt　something　proud　in　the　withdrawing…room　of
his　soul。　　But　though　he　talked　little；　he　had　the　power　of
contemplationoften　found　in　men　of　decided　character；　with　a
tendency　to　liver。　　Once　in　Nepal；　where　he　had　gone　to　shoot；　he　had
passed　a　month　quite　happily　with　only　a　Ghoorka　servant　who　could
speak　no　English。　　To　those　who　asked　him　if　he　had　not　been　horribly
bored；　he　had　always　answered：　〃Not　a　bit；　did　a　lot　of　thinking。〃

With　Miltoun's　trouble　he　had　the　professional　sympathy　of　a　brother
and　the　natural　intolerance　of　a　confirmed　bachelor。　　Women　were　to
him　very　kittle…cattle。　　He　distrusted　from　the　bottom　of　his　soul
those　who　had　such　manifest　power　to　draw　things　from　you。　　He　was
one　of　those　men　in　whom　some　day　a　woman　might　awaken　a　really　fine
affection；　but　who；　until　that　time；　would　maintain　the　perfectly
male　attitude　to　the　entire　sex；　and；　after　it；　to　all　the　sex　but
one。　　Women　were；　like　Life　itself；　creatures　to　be　watched；
carefully　used；　and　kept　duly　subservient。　　The　only　allusion
therefore　that　he　made　to　Miltoun's　trouble　was　very　sudden。

〃Old　man；　I　hope　you're　going　to　cut　your　losses。〃

The　words　were　followed　by　undisturbed　silence：　But　passing　Mrs。
Noel's　cottage　Miltoun　said：

〃Take　my　horse　on；　I　want　to　go　in　here。〃。。。。

She　was　sitting　at　her　piano　with　her　hands　idle；　looking　at　a　line
of　music。。。。　　She　had　been　sitting　thus　for　many　minutes；　but　had　not
yet　taken　in　the　notes。

When　Miltoun's　shadow　blotted　the　light　by　which　she　was　seeing　so
little；　she　gave　a　slight　start；　and　got　up。　　But　she　neither　went
towards　him；　nor　spoke。　　And　he；　without　a　word；　came　in　and　stood　by
the　hearth；　looking　down　at　the　empty　grate。　　A　tortoise…shell　cat
which　had　been　watching　swallows；　disturbed　by　his　entrance；　withdrew
from　the　window　beneath　a　chair。

This　silence；　in　which　the　question　of　their　future　lives　was　to　be
decided；　seemed　to　both　interminable；　yet；　neither　could　end　it。

At　last；　touching　his　sleeve；　she　said：　〃You're　wet！〃

Miltoun　shivered　at　that　timid　sign　of　possession。　　And　they　again
stood　in　silence　broken　only　by　the　sound　of　the　cat　licking　its
paws。

But　her　faculty　for　dumbness　was　stronger　than　his；　andhe　had　to
speak　first。

〃Forgive　me　for　coming；　something　must　be　settled。　　Thisrumour〃

〃Oh！　　that！〃　she　said。　　〃Is　there　anything　I　can　do　to　stop　the　harm
to　you？〃

It　was　the　turn　of　Miltoun's　lips　to　curl。　　〃God！　no；　let　them　talk！〃

Their　eyes　had　come　together　now；　and；　once　together；　seemed　unable
to　part。

Mrs。　Noel　said　at　last：

〃Will　you　ever　forgive　me？〃

〃What　forit　was　my　fault。〃

〃No；　I　should　have　known　you　better。〃

The　depth　of　meaning　in　those　wordsthe　tremendous　and　subtle
admission　they　contained　of　all　that　she　had　been　ready　to　do；　the
despairing　knowledge　in　them　that　he　was　not；　and　never　had　been；
ready　to　'bear　it　out　even　to　the　edge　of　doom'made　Miltoun　wince
away。

〃It　is　not　from　fearbelieve　that；　anyway。〃

〃I　do。〃

There　followed　another　long；　long　silence！　　But　though　so　close　that
they　were　almost　touching；　they　no　longer　looked　at　one　another。
Then　Miltoun　said：

〃There　is　only　to　say　good…bye；　then。〃

At　those　clear　words　spoken　by　lips　which；　though　just　smiling；
failed　so　utterly　to　hide　his　misery；　Mrs。　Noel's　face　became
colourless　as　her　white　gown。　　But　her　eyes；　which　had　grown　immense；
seemed　from　the　sheer　lack　of　all　other　colour；　to　have　drawn　into
them　the　whole　of　her　vitality；　to　be　pouring　forth　a　proud　and
mournful　reproach。

Shivering；　and　crushing　himself　together　with　his　arms；　Miltoun
walked　towards　the　window。　　There　was　not　the　faintest　sound　from
her；　and　he　looked　back。　　She　was　following　him　with　her　eyes。　　He
threw　his　hand　up　over　his　face；　and　went　quickly　out。　　Mrs。　Noel
stood　for　a　little　while　where　he　had　left　her；　then；　sitting　down
once　more　at　the　piano；　began　again　to　con　over　the　line　of　music。
And　the　cat　stole　back　to　the　window　to　watch　the　swallows。　　The
sunlight　was　dying　slowly　on　the　top　branches　of　the　lime…tree；　a；
drizzling　rain　began　to　fall。




CHAPTER　XX

Claud　Fresnay；　Viscount　Harbinger　was；　at　the　age　of　thirty…one；
perhaps　the　least　encumbered　peer　in　the　United　Kingdom。　　Thanks　to
an　ancestor　who　had　acquired　land；　and　departed　this　life　one　hundred
and　thirty　years　before　the　town　of　Nettlefold　was　built　on　a　small
portion　of　it；　and　to　a　father　who　had　died　in　his　son's　infancy；
after　judiciously　selling　the　said　tow